Having solid definitions and rigor in establishing "what is Pipeline", how to manage it properly, and ultimately how to Forecast properly - is as essential to small stage start up as it is to a public company. Arguably, it's ideal to set in place such a structure, understanding and a culture of honesty and accountability when a company is small, rather than large. This attracts investor interest during due-diligence and inspires strong current investor confidence in their investment and with the way you are managing your company. As the company grows, you've also set a tone and expectation with an expanding sales force. Additionally - the regular inspection a standing forecast process provides will unearth problems you'll need to solve as a company - product, demo, pricing, persona targeted, etc. Put simply - this a core practice to building out a successful business.
In this session, you will understand best practices and considerations regarding:
- When to include a lead in your pipeline
- Sales stage definitions
- Common definitions and management
- Forecast cadence
- Defining success
My background in technology runs 21 years with 16 of those years leading Sales Operations organizations - from the huge (500M - 3.5B growth stage) to the small (20M to 60M growth stage). I've deep hands on experience with all of the functions and tools involved, and also a strategic view as a leader in terms of how to use and manage to the data produced. Lastly, I have been in Sales and managed an Inside Sales Team of BDR and ISR functions. - so I also have a deep appreciation of the reality of a sales cycle.
